Cloud Chasing 101

What is Cloud Chasing?

In two words: competitive vaping. Some people have even called it “stunt vaping”. The goal is to see who can create the biggest vapor clouds humanly possible. Actual competitions are being held across the country and all over the world year round, with prizes ranging from free gear to thousands of bucks in cash! I seriously doubt that any of them are doing it for the money. I believe that these people are actually just chasing the clouds! Just like car enthusiasts work on their Hot Rods, Cloud Chasers are constantly rebuilding their atomizers to find that perfect setup that will blow everybody else’s away.

When automotive manufacturers first started out, they were not thinking about a sport to be called Formula One. You always have groups of people who are looking for excitement.

- Mr. Hon Lik on cloud chasing (The Henry Ford of Vaping)

There are going to be a lot of people that think this is completely ridiculous, and they are probably right, but even some Cloud Chasers can acknowledge the absurdity of this new-found “sport”. Some say these Cloud Chasers are raising awareness because it usually sparks a conversation with people unfamiliar with vaping. Cloud Chasers are sending out “clouds of awareness”, kinda like a bat-signal, telling smokers to surrender their stinkies. On the other hand, some vapers think that some Cloud Chasers are giving vaping a bad name by their elitist attitudes and most of all, their big-ass obnoxious clouds that they blow in public. Walk into any vape shop and I guarantee you will see at least one or two of these people releasing massive, nuclear bomb-esque clouds into the atmosphere. What a foggy life it would be if this was happening everywhere! We feel that Cloud Chasing should be limited to private spaces,such as vape shops.

There has been a huge spike in the amount of RDA’s and Sub-Ohm tanks that have been flooding the market. I feel like they drop a new Mutation-X version just about every week. They update that thing more often than iTunes! To me, this says that it doesn’t seem like Cloud Chasing is going anywhere anytime soon. As long as people keep buying ‘em, these companies are going to keep on making ‘em. Right now, as you read this article, vapers all over the world are buying gear and rebuilding it to hopefully one day create a cloud that is going to cover the entire northern hemisphere, raining unicorn blood upon us all…

The 9 Key Factors to Cloud Chasing

These 9 Key Factors are straight from Part 1 of Rip Trippers’ Cloud Chasing 101 series:

Mod – The right mod is important for powering these extremely low-resistance coil-builds..

Atomizer – For competitive Cloud Chasing, an RDA is a must such as a Plume Veil or Tugboat.

Body Posture/Inhale/Exhale Technique – Takes months to perfect, just like any “smoke trick”.

Wicking – Very important factor in allowing the juice and air to flow to your coils.

Build – Different builds will affect vapor production, the lower the resistance, the bigger the cloud.

Genetics – Some people with more lung capacity are able to inhale more vapor without coughing.

Cloud Chasing can be straight-up dangerous if attempted without the proper knowledge! DO NOT attempt to do this without knowing the prerequisites on how to Cloud Chase. This includes Ohm’s Law and battery safety. Watch as many videos and read as much as possible on this topic. Please vape safely! Make sure you are of legal age to buy and use these products where you live.

Please read this PSA and thread before you attempt to recreate any of the builds I’m about to show!

They say “if you build it, they will come” and that is also true of Cloud Chasing. With the right build, they will. Cloud Chasers are constantly searching for that perfect coil-build that is going to “chuck the clouds”, as Rip says. Let’s take a few basic coil-builds that are “chuck-certified”. If you re-build it, they will chuck. If you are interested in turning your clouds into some popular vape tricks then head over to our vape tricks guide.

Basic Cloud Chasing Builds

In part 2 of Cloud Chasing 101, Rip builds a Cloud-chucking dual-parallel build with 24g Gplat.

Here he shows us how to do a Macro coil using 24g Kanthal for those “extreme vapers”

In this video, Big Lou shows us how to build some low-resistance coils that are “throwing mad clouds”.

Additional Techniques/Factors

Having the right amount of airflow is very important, however it is important to note that too much airflow can take away from the density of your clouds. This is where inhale/exhale technique and body posture play an important role. Another trick I have noticed is that many Cloud Chasers are ditching their drip tips. Last but not least, as we have seen, most Cloud Chasing builds are done with wire that is 24g and below. If you are Cloud Chasing with 26g wire, you might want to upgrade to 24g or try a parallel or twisted build. This will automatically lower your resistance significantly as the two wires work together as a big fat wire.

Recreational vs. Competitive Cloud Chasing

It is important to understand the difference between just throwing a Kanger Subtank Mini with a .5 Ohm coil head on an iStick vs. using an unregulated, mechanical mod with builds on it lower than .1 Ohms. As long as you stay above .3 Ohms you can safely enjoy blowing out huge clouds all day long. If your starting off we strongly recommend using regulated devices with builds above .3 unless you really know what you are doing. If you have any doubts, just stop. Don’t be the reason why vaping gets shut down for all of us, you’re playing with fire! There are tons of devices on the market that will allow you to safely reap the benefits of Sub-Ohming, without any of the risks. Here is a list of some examples of great regulated E-cig/Box mods.

What the hell is Sub-Sub-Ohming?

It has gotten to that point already where .1 is just not enough for some vapers. We are now starting to see Cloud Chasers with builds that are clocking in at .09 and below! To some people, vaping has become a race to the bottom only to see how low they can go. This is like the aggressive inline skating of vaping.

Conclusion

Cloud Chasing is the most extreme form of Sub-Ohm vaping. It can be a ton of fun if done properly. On the other hand, and I cannot say this enough, it can be very dangerous! If you are going to be one of those people, do your homework first. Don’t just throw together a build on your Fast-tech clone setup, put it right up to your face and hit that power button unless you are 100% confident that you have taken all of the proper safety measures. If your device or battery ever gets too hot, just put it down and just walk away, dude. But seriously, read e-cigarette forums on How to Cloud Chase and watch as many videos as you possibly can on this subject regarding the safest possible methods and practices. Don’t blow yourself up.

If you want to chuck some clouds and don’t feel like all the hassle of rebuilding coils etc. then check out our best sub ohm tank page for some great sub ohm tanks with pre-built coils.​

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Dave hails from New York City and is committed to providing high quality reviews and the most up-to-date vaping news coverage. His goal is to save vapers time and money. He is passionate about keeping people off the cigarettes, which is how he ended up on our team. When Dave is not working for Vaping360, you can find him producing music or educating the youth of tomorrow.

With the invention of the dna 40 chipset for mods, competitive vapers are now using drippers with 0.1 ohm nichrome wire coils on a dna40 equipped mod. The dna40 chipset has temperature control, which means in essence that you can never get a dry hit with its nasty taste.

I want clouds what setting do i need to put my snowwolf 200w with a vapeston magnus n1 tank running a 0.14

Dave @ Vaping 360

Dave @ Vaping 360 Mod • a few seconds ago

Hey Cobra! At .14 I would probably start with around 50-60 and work my way up. It all comes down to how hot you want your vapor. You can probably go all the way up to 80 or 90, just work your way up gradually. Hope that helps, good luck and vape on!

Cobra Nasha

Hi Dave. Thanks for the advice. .14 is ohms. How open do i need to leave the air vents. This one has them at thr bottom and also on the tip. I don’t want the vapour to be to hot

Dave @ Vaping 360

Try about half way open on the bottom and closed on the top. Then either go half way on the top or just wide open on the bottom and closed on the top. The top airflow will cool down your vapor but will also diminish your flavor. -Dave

Cobra Nasha

Thanks mate for the sound advice. Had it on 42w and it was giving me a decent cloud but i want it more dense

Dave @ Vaping 360

No prob, yea I know what you were experiencing. For some reason, those stock coil heads tend to put out an unsatisfying vape on anything lower than 50 watts. I have had that same issue with many of the Sub Ohm tanks I have messed with.

PS – The tank you have is rated up 150 watts but I think that would be a little bit excessive if you ask me. Some people must like super duper hot vapes I guess. LOL -Dave

James Rogers

I’m using a Sigelei at the moment (best stick to your snow wolf, friend), and I got a SMOK TF-V4. Dave is right in saying with working up to the clouds. Start on a low wattage you can handle (and the coil can handle without flooding or burning) and slowly push up to until you ether reach 200W or your child can’t take anymore.

Deniz

Hey James,i thought about buying the smok tfv4 and the sigelei 150 watts,are these components compatible or may i get any problems?

marcio

i only wanted a build to make those cool rings that last a medium time and jellyfish. i wanted very cheap mod (under 20 euro if possible) someone help?

Dave @ Vaping 360

Hey Marcio, sorry for the late reply. You can probably get a beginner’s vape pen. You won’t get as much vapor as a big mod but you can still blow o’s and eventually upgrade when you have the money. It is all about practice, keep on doing it and don’t give up. The only way to do a good jellyfish is to first master your O’s. Good luck!

Andre Seen

Can the istick 100w paired with the arctic v8 sub ohm tank be competition ready to blow huge ass clouds?

I think you should go for a larger mod that has a higher output to maximize the power of the Arctic V8. The iStick 100W will be fine, but will not be able to use some coils to their full potential.

Hopelscotch

Wow, really helpful! So you’ve got an article that is supposed to be an intro to sub-ohm vaping and your conclusion is: don’t do it unless you know what you’re doing and if you are going to do it, do some research first. My god, this is such a pointless article, why does everyone keep going on about it being so dangerous, why does no article online actually just want go say “hey, if you’re a newbie and you’re having trouble getting that full vape, just grab a decent mech mod, an RDA, a high amp rating battery, and do this coil build. Then you’ll get a great a cloud” instead we have dickheads like this guy going on about posture and the infinite dangers of using bad batteries.

Dave @ Vaping 360

Hey Hopelscotch, thanks for taking the time to leave us some feedback. This is actually NOT an intro to sub-ohm vaping, you can find that article here:

I wrote this article about cloud chasing, an extreme form of sub ohm vaping. We have a lot of loyal readers so we feel that it is our responsibility to maintain their safety. In turn, this will have a positive impact on our community, which is good for both me and you.

I personally would NOT recommend a mech mod with an RDA for a beginner. There used to be levels to this stuff, you would start with a cig-alike or a clearomizer and work your way up. Mechanical mods are strictly for those who are well-versed in Ohm’s law and battery safety. ( http://vaping360.com/category/guides/battery-safety/ ) We hope you continue to enjoy, share and comment on our articles, have a great day and vape on!

-Dave

Hopelscotch

Sorry didn’t mean to come off as rude. I do maintain that this article is pointless though.

Dave @ Vaping 360

No prob, Hopelscotch, it’s the internet, you are free to express yourself. I personally disagree with you, considering the purpose of the article was to give people an introduction to cloud chasing, to which it does exactly that.

In addition, thousands of people like yourself have read this article and gained new information from it, so it would be a bit of a stretch to call it pointless. In any case, we hope you continue to enjoy and share our site!

Best what for clouds? I’m sorry Tommy, not sure what you are asking me. If you are talking about liquid, the higher the VG, the thicker the clouds.

Cameron

I have a mini temple rda and a Kbox200 so what would be a good build so I can get the biggest cloud possible

Dave @ Vaping 360

Hey Cameron! I’m not sure if you meant that literally or not but if you want to know the biggest cloud possible. . . I would definitely go with some fused clapton coils or even a nice 24 gauge twisted or parallel build. You may even want to go with 22 or 20 gauge. I don’t recommend building anything below .3 ohms, but if you are going for straight clouds, I would say do something around .15 ohms running at about 75 watts or higher. I have a fused clapton in a Twisted Messes RDA right now that is .15 and it is CHUCKING. Of course, always vape safely and make sure you ALWAYS use good quality batteries!

I have a reuleaux 200w with a zephyr buddha. What is a good build for clouds?

Dave @ Vaping 360

Hey sorry for the late reply, check out the build videos in the article above. I would go with 22 gauge wire or lower and about 5-6 wraps on a 3mm ohming in at around .2ish Of course know your battery amp limitations and always vape safely!

Deniz

Hey guys,so i wanted to buy myself a cloud-chasing setup with a budget of 180 €,I think this is about 210 $ or something. I thought about the sub ohm tank SMOK TFV4 and the mod Siegelei 150w, because I don’t want to build my own coils and drip liquid every 5 minutes,but I think I can get way better equipment for that amount of money,do you have any recommendations for me?

Dave @ Vaping 360

Hey Deniz! The Sigelei 150W sounds great to me, those things are built tough. The Smok TFV4 is one of our favorite tanks too. Make sure you get good quality batteries too! Definitely check out our reviews for more ideas but that sounds like a nice little setup.

-Dave

Arvin

i have mad hatter v2 and a rx200s, i want to have a big cloud chase what will i do? or what build i should do?

Dave @ Vaping 360

Check out the videos above. I would recommend starting at around .3 ohms and working your way down to .2 once you feel comfortable and know your battery’s amp limitations.

derick

i have evic and succubus and my battery is lg choco , what build i should do using 24gauge wire for cloud chase?

Noah

is the wismec reuleaux rx75 good for big cloud chasing?

Miguel Alvarez

Hi I have a segelei 150 tc mod with the tsunami rda running duel 24g macro coils 2.5 diameter 5 wrap at 0.23 ohms and 75w at 4.1v I don’t feel like I am blowing out huge clouds. Any help would be great

Eriat Vol

Im planning to build a vape. What build you can suggest to me. im a beginner yet i want to be a cloud chaser not that much strong clouds but the build that can i do tricks and vape all day in a safe build. wish that you could help me. Im not yet familiar with those materials/items for vaping. Thankyou in advance and more power

M Salman Khan

I also want the same! Have you found the perfect vape yet? If so tell me. I also want to build a vape that gives good thick clouds to do some tornadoes and jellyfish O tricks. Do tell me the Ohm’s and Watts I need.

Coty323

I have a wismec reuleaux rx200s with a tfv8 and I cannot figure out how to get it to produce a decent cloud. Any help on this?

cary cameron

which atomizer are you using? i have the same set up, make sure you have a high vg juice as vg produces more cloud, i use 80/20 but most people use 70/30. beyond that i use the 8 coil build but switch to the RBA at times. if built properly your RBA should produce very well at about 70 watts, and if you are using the 8 coil i run it at 120 watts and it produces very well. its all about the wattage and juice you use as well as the way you build the RBA (if you choose to go that route) i personally get very large cloud from that set up. If you have any further questions please email me at [email protected]. I am happy to help with whatever questions you have. I am no expert but atleast with this setup i can give you quite a bit of information that will atleast help you move in the right direction.